


90 Days Til Forever

by NachoDiablo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 90 day fiance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Marriage of Convenience, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Nat and Sam are the BROT3, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 16:17:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15998846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: Bucky has ninety days to prove to Steve that he's ready to get hitched. He's not sure why he's surprised when he blows it by day eighty-six.





	90 Days Til Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Hell Yeah Bottom Bucky](https://hellyeahbottombucky.tumblr.com/) prompt, "90 Day Fiance." Thank you [roe87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87) for a prompt so cute, I had to do it twice! <3

Bucky knows he’s a goner the minute he lays eyes on Steve Rogers in the JFK International terminal.

They haven’t seen each other in the flesh in nearly two years, when they’d shared their last kiss over pizza and house wine at the Campo de' Fiori in Rome. Steve had been a lot smaller then, though he’d still left Bucky breathless when they’d kissed.

Over the past two years, Steve’s football training and growth spurt have worked in tandem to bulk him up, but Bucky hadn’t realized the magnitude of exactly how hot Steve has become. He nearly chokes on his inhale when Steve’s strong arms engulf him in greeting. Their infrequent, choppy Skype sessions had not done those biceps justice at all.

Steve’s lips, however, are soft and familiar when they finally meet Bucky’s again.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Steve murmurs in the cab ride to his apartment. His arm is wrapped tightly around Bucky’s shoulders. “And I’m even happier that you get to stay.”

Bucky grins and kisses Steve’s cheek. “Well, you’ve got ninety days to decide.” He tries to sound flippant as he pretends that the butterflies in his stomach are due to excitement and not nerves. There’s nothing to be  _ nervous  _ about. Sure, he’s just stuffed all his worldly belongings into two duffel bags and dragged them halfway around the world, but it’s not like his life in St. Petersburg was so great. Homophobic father, distant mother, shitty part time job-hopping, no chance for university. 

Even if Bucky winds up hating everything else about the U.S., at least here he’s got Steve. 

“You’ve got ninety days to think it over, too,” Steve smirks. “Maybe you’ll get fed up with my snoring and ditch me.”

“It’s possible,” Bucky agrees. He kisses the mock scowl from Steve’s face and leans against his shoulder. Bucky doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of being able to touch Steve whenever he feels like it. 

They’d spent two weeks each summer together in Rome, before Steve’s sophomore and junior years of high school, at an art history camp for international students. As the only two scholarship students, they’d been paired up as roommates and bonded immediately in their quest to stretch their meager spending money as far as possible. 

They’d kept in touch after that first summer, chatting on WhatsApp and Tumblr. By the time the next summer camp rolled around, they’d grown closer than ever. Bucky had worried that Steve’s feelings were significantly more platonic than his own, but that fear had been squashed after their first night together. Steve had pressed Bucky up against the bathroom wall and kissed him fiercely, toothpaste breath be damned.

They’d done the long distance thing ever since. Bucky had finished school and struggled to find work while managing his anxiety. Steve had grown a few more inches and gotten bumped to the starting lineup of his school’s football team. They hadn’t had the funds to meet up last summer, but they had spoken every day without fail, even if it was just a quick ‘I love you’ chat message.

Steve’s ma had died eight months ago in November. Bucky had been angry at himself for not being able to afford the trip to be there for Steve, but of course Steve had assured him that he understood. 

That didn’t stop Bucky from stressing two weeks later when Steve had messaged him at eleven in the evening, Bucky’s time, asking if Bucky was free for a Skype call. Bucky had been certain that Steve had changed his mind and was going to dump him for being such an unsupportive boyfriend.

He nearly fell off his bed when he got a proposal instead.

“We can’t get married,” Bucky had whispered, even as his heart had fluttered in his chest. “We don’t have the money for a plane ticket. And where would we live? You can’t come here, and I’ll never get a visa to the U.S. I wouldn’t even know how to start applying.”

Steve’s face had flushed prettily as he’d replied, ”They make special visas for fiances. You get to come here for ninety days so we can get married, and then once we’re married, you can do some more paperwork and stay for good. I’m eighteen since I stayed back that year before kindergarten. And I just got off the phone with Coach. I’m going to play for Syracuse next year. I’ll get a full ride for school, plus lots of other perks. We’ll have a place to live, and maybe you can go to school too, if you want. Or you can do something else, no pressure. And we’d be together, Buck, no matter what happens.”

Bucky had shaken his head sadly. “Steve, I can’t ask you to do all that for me.”

“I’m doing it for  _ us,” _ Steve had said with a stubborn grin. “I love you, Bucky, and I want to be with you forever. Why not start our forever right now?”

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bucky’s eyes widen as Steve easily slings the heaviest duffel over his shoulder and leads Bucky up the stairs to his apartment. “It’s small,” Steve warns, “but it’s cozy. We’ve only got a few weeks here anyway. We’ve gotta move to scenic Onondaga County before practice starts in August.”

“Cozy is good,” Bucky says. His eyes are trained on Steve’s ass as they make their way up the stairs. 

“We’ve only got the one bedroom,” Steve continues. “Ma worked night shifts before she got sick, so she slept on my bed while I was at school. But if you’re not comfortable with that,” he adds hastily, “I can sleep on the couch.”

“It’s okay,” Bucky says. “We’re gonna be married, right? Sharing a bed is one of the parts I’ve been looking forward to, personally.”

That’s an understatement. Bucky has been dreaming about spending his nights with Steve for the past two years. Not just the physical stuff- although that has certainly had its fair share of fantasies as well- but the thought of drifting off to sleep with Steve curled protectively against his back. If Bucky had to pick the one thing he’s missed most during their long distance relationship, cuddling would be it.

Although that ass is pretty darn high up on the list as well.

“One more flight!” Steve calls over his shoulder. They turn on the landing and head up what Bucky suspects is the fiftieth flight of stairs. The duffel bag slung across his left shoulder is starting to make his arm go numb, so he tries to shift the weight as they reach the midpoint of the staircase. 

Unfortunately, his jet lag paired with the heavy luggage messes with his balance. He stumbles as he misses a stair and falls backwards. He grasps blindly in front of him for the railing, but ends up grabbing Steve’s ass instead.

“Augh!” Steve shouts as he crashes backwards into Bucky. Bucky tries to steady himself and stop Steve from falling, but only manages the former. He watches in horror as Steve tumbles head over feet down the stairs with the duffel bag. 

“Steve!” Bucky drops his own bag in a rush to get to Steve faster. The bag rolls down the steps and lands on Steve’s legs with a heavy thud.

Steve hisses in pain as he sits up. Bucky is in full panic mode as he kneels down and pushes the duffel bags off of him. “Shit, I’m sorry Steve, I’m  _ so _ sorry, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to--”

“I’m fine,” Steve assures him. He winces as he gets to his feet. “Just banged my ribs.” He presses his fingers against his right side. “Probably just a bruise.”

Bucky cringes. “Bruised ribs don’t sounds good.”

“It’s fine,” Steve says with a kind smile. “I’ve had worse on the field. I’ll ice it when we get up to the apartment.”

“I can carry the bags,” Bucky says glumly. It’s the least he can do after almost murdering his fiance.

“I’ve got it,” Steve insists. He hoists a bag onto his shoulder. Bucky can see him bite back a grimace of pain. 

He keeps his eyes trained intently on the steps as they continue their ascent. He hopes he can make it eighty nine days without sending Steve to the hospital.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bucky washes his hands for the third time in the restaurant men’s room. He hears someone sigh behind him and tap their foot impatiently. Bucky’s shoulders tense, but he decides to slowly and deliberately wash his hands a fourth time.

“Really, man?” the voice complains. “There’s a line.”

Bucky looks over his shoulder to glare at the guy behind him. “You are one person,” he says cooly. “Not a  _ line. _ You can wait.” He turns to the paper towel dispenser and slowly pulls one out.

Bucky knows he’s being a jerk, but he’s too stressed out to care. In a few minutes, he’ll be meeting Steve’s best friends, Sam and Nat, along with Nat’s girlfriend Sharon. 

Bucky’s seen photos, but he can’t remember their faces clearly. Steve hadn’t wanted to let them Skype with Bucky prior to his arrival. He’d claimed that he’d wanted them to meet for the first time in-person, but from the amount of times Steve has referred to Nat as ‘intimidating,’ Bucky suspects there are other reasons. He’s not sure if he’s ready for the third degree he’s definitely going to receive.

Bucky tries to reassure himself that everything will go fine tonight. And if it doesn’t, he still has eighty-seven days to fix it.

“Dude, hurry up!” the guy behind him says in exasperation. Bucky turns on his heel and throws his wet paper towel in the guy’s face.

“Gross!” the guy shrieks as he bats it away.

“All yours,” Bucky mutters as he hurries out of the restroom. 

Before he makes it back to their table, a waiter about his age grabs him by the arm.

“Hey,” he says with a sneer. “You’re Rogers’  _ date, _ right?”

Bucky blinks. He glances down at the waiter’s name tag, which reads ‘Brock.’

“Yeah,” he says. “I guess so.”

“I heard about you.” The waiter’s grip tightens on Bucky’s arm. “Heard Rogers got himself a mail order bride to practice on before he gets to college.”

Bucky shrugs out of the hold without speaking and keeps walking towards Steve. The blood pounds in his veins as the waiter’s whisper drifts over to his ears.

“When he’s done with you, hit me up. You’re pretty enough to pass around a few times.”

Bucky’s face is burning as he arrives at the table where Steve has stood up to greet two girls.

Steve grins happily as he introduces everyone. “Nat, Sharon, this is my fiance, Bucky. Bucky, this is my best friend Nat and her girlfriend Sharon.” He gestures towards the redhead and the blonde in turn.

The friendly smiles on their faces sooth Bucky’s nerves. He’s getting used to people smiling more here than they do at home. Sharon is closer, so he moves in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She jerks in surprise and somehow her lips end up pressed against Bucky’s. They both jump back immediately, but Nat’s face is already fixed with a glare.

“Sorry,” Bucky mumbles as he shuffles back over to Steve’s side. “I didn’t… I was aiming for her cheek.”

“Why?” Nat says coldly as she winds an arm around Sharon’s waist. “If you’re tired of Steve already, keep moving. She’s taken.” 

“Nat!” Steve hisses. “Don’t be like that.”

“It’s fine,” Sharon says, but her smile seems more forced than it had been a moment ago. 

“I’m sorry,” Bucky says again. “It’s just… Back home, with friends, we…”

“Don’t worry, Buck,” Steve says firmly. He drapes an arm around Bucky’s shoulders and eyes Nat warily. “It’s not a big deal.”

Nat rolls her eyes but doesn’t reply. Sharon clears her throat. “Oh look,” she says, “Sam’s finally back from the bathroom. I wonder what took him so long?”

Bucky stiffens against Steve’s side. He doesn’t have to look at where Sharon’s pointing to know exactly what Sam looks like.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bucky struggles to breathe as he frantically dials Steve’s number and waits an excruciating four seconds for Steve to answer. Steve’s cat, who was adopted when his mom started to get sick, is coughing and wheezing violently on the floor in front of him.

“Steve!” he hisses frantically into the receiver, “are you almost home? I need you, you have to come home, I don’t know what to do--”

“Bucky,” Steve interrupts, “calm down. I’m literally on the stairs, I’ll be right there.”

Bucky doesn’t reply as he ends the call and drops the phone on the couch. The front door handle turns and Steve rushes in. He drops his backpack on the floor and rests his hands on Bucky’s shoulders without a second glance at the dying cat by his feet.

“Buck, are you okay? What happened?”

Bucky’s jaw drops. Is Steve blind? He gestures dramatically as he blurts out, “The cat’s dying, you dumbass! I swear I don’t know what happened, but he’s not breathing right, and I couldn’t take him to the vet, I don’t even know where the vet  _ is, _ or what to Google, or…”

He trails off as Steve starts chuckling. Bucky’s panic begins to fade into annoyance. “What’s so funny?” he asks with a frown.

“Kitty’s not dying,” Steve snickers. “He’s just got a hairball. He’ll cough it up eventually.”

Sure enough, the cat stops hacking and stalks into the next room without a backwards glance.

Bucky is furious. That cat’s got some nerve. Bucky scowls and shoves Steve’s chest.

Steve’s brow furrows in confusion. “What’d you do that for?” he asks.

“Because you’re a little shit!” Bucky snaps before he bursts into tears.

Steve looks panicked as he gathers Bucky into his arms. “I’m… I’m sorry?”

_ “You’re _ sorry?” Bucky mutters. He wipes his snotty nose on the shoulder of Steve’s shirt.  _ “I’m _ the one who can’t do anything right. Your friends hate me, I nearly murdered you on the stairs, and now I almost killed your cat? It hasn’t even been a week! I’ve only got eighty six days to show you how much I love you, or else...” He trails off as he grits his teeth and wills himself to stop crying. He’s on thin ice as it is; he’s got to pull himself together.

“Buck, look at me.” Steve cups Bucky’s cheek and tilts his head so their eyes meet. “I love you, too. I want to marry you. I don’t need eighty-six days to know that for sure. Hell, I don’t need eighty-six seconds. You’re stuck with me, pal.” He kisses the tip of Bucky’s nose gently.

Bucky blushes. “I’m sorry.”

“You need to stop apologizing so much,” Steve says. “Shit happens. I’m sure we’ll almost murder each other lots of times over the next eighty years.”

“Shut up,” Bucky laughs. He pulls Steve in for another kiss. Steve’s got a dopey grin on his face when they part. 

“Um, so,” he says nervously. “We haven’t really talked about timing or anything, but I was thinking next week we could head down to the courthouse and make it official. If you’re ready. We can wait if you want.”

“I don’t want to wait,” Bucky says in a rush. “We’ve waited too long already.”

Steve beams. “We have,” he agrees. “Nat and Sam can both get off work any time after two next week. They want to be our witnesses.”

“Haven’t they witnessed enough?” Bucky groans. “I can’t believe they didn’t take up a collection to send me back to Russia.”

“They like you!” Steve laughs. “You were quite charming once you relaxed, you know. And they know how much you’ve done for me.”

“Really?” Bucky raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t done anything.”

Steve laces their fingers together. “Bucky,” he says quietly, “You entertained me when I was laid up with pneumonia for two months sophomore year, and we weren’t even dating yet. You kept me grounded through all the college scouting. And I… I would never have gotten through losing my ma without you. You’ve always been here for me, even when you couldn’t be  _ here. _ Trust me, Sam and Nat know this.”

Steve drops Bucky’s hands and walks over to his abandoned backpack. He kneels down and digs through the front pocket for a moment, then shuffles back to Bucky on his knees.

“Bucky,” he says, “I love your dumb face, and I wanna kiss it every day for the rest of my life. Will you officially marry me next week?” Steve holds out his fist and opens it to reveal a simple metal band. “It’s tungsten,” he adds. “Cheap and sturdy. Like our love.”

Bucky rolls his eyes, but he can’t stop a sappy grin from spreading across his face. “Cut back on the romantic talk, Rogers, you’re making me swoon.”

“Is that a yes?” Steve asks cheekily.

Bucky laughs and sinks down to his own knees so he can wrap his arms around his dork of a fiance. “Yeah,” he says, “it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on Tumblr at [samstevebuckyhq](https://samstevebuckyhq.tumblr.com/), and a rebloggable post of this fic is [here](https://samstevebuckyhq.tumblr.com/post/178113461941/90-days-til-forever-written-for-the).


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